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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24369565">There’s More to a Date than a Birth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustARobin05/pseuds/JustARobin05'>JustARobin05</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Epithet Erased (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birthday, Fluff, Found Family, I knOW that I'm LATE I am so rr y, Sylvie's date of birth y'all</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:13:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24369565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustARobin05/pseuds/JustARobin05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sylvie isn't used to celebrating his birthday. That won't stop Molly and Giovanni from doing it anyway.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Molly Blyndeff &amp; Giovanni Potage, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling &amp; Molly Blyndeff &amp; Giovanni Potage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>There’s More to a Date than a Birth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY SHEEP BOY!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>May twenty-third.</p><p>It was a… day. A date. Nothing much more, really. Although, Sylvester knew that to be a lie.</p><p>You see, on May 23rd, 2004, Sylvester Ashling had been born. Yes, it was his birthday and he was turning sixteen.</p><p>Sylvie didn’t really like his birthday. He’d never celebrated it, his parents always said it was too childish and, with time, he had learned that he agreed with them. His birth wasn’t something that he should be proud, or happy about. It was something that happened, yes, he was part of it. That was about it in his mind.</p><p>He knew that it wasn’t really a healthy mentality to have from a young age, and skipping out on his birthday made him feel… less loved, on some days; still that didn’t really matter much to him.</p><p>So, on May twenty third, Sylvester started his day like he started any other. He got out of bed, showered, made himself a coffee and then was out the door. </p><p>Nothing more, nothing less.</p><p>That wasn’t exactly true for his bear-centric friend.</p><p>-</p><p>Molly was excited, for the first time in a while, she was buzzing around her shift at the shop with something akin to happiness. That morning when she rolled out of bed, Molly knew that it was a special day, Sylvie’s birthday!</p><p>She knew that Sylvie didn’t want to do anything. When she’d asked about it he hadn’t had much of a reaction and he told her not to worry. Of course, she did and that was why she had sent a message to Giovanni to get him to come to the shop. He wasn’t there yet but Molly knew that it wouldn’t be long. The ex-blaster was always as fast as he could be, while keeping up with his standards of safety, of course, sometimes he’d get her a small gift. </p><p>One of the many reasons that Molly liked Giovanni was that he was selfless in the most amazing way. She hadn’t experienced a lot of that in life.</p><p>She had been putting price stickers on to a rack of buttons. All different shapes and sizes, colours and shininess. Sometimes she’d hate this part of work but right now she had so much on her mind that it just mulled it all. It was calm in the shop, peaceful.</p><p>And then: “BEAR-TRAP!” was yelled behind her. Molly nearly jumped out of her skin, though she turned around, throwing the price-tag maker to the ground, and ran up to the man.</p><p>“GIOVANNI!” she yelled back, with just enough volume to match his own. She jumped into his arms and they shared a hug, Giovanni then put her on the ground and ruffled her hair, a smile on his face.</p><p>“So, what did you call me here for, Bear-Trap? Need some time away from work?”</p><p>“Yes! But also no!” she said, sounding too happy for someone in her situation. “It’s Sylvie’s birthday today!”</p><p>“IT IS!? And that nerd didn’t think to tell us, huh?”</p><p>“To be fair you didn’t really ask,”</p><p>“H-” he mimed being hurt, “You make a good point,” he said, his hand now pressed to his chest dramatically. Molly giggled.</p><p>“Anyway, we have to do something for him!” Molly said, “I’ve got all these ideas - like we could throw him a party, then again he doesn’t really like those… OH! We could bake him a cake! And visit him! Maybe?”</p><p>“GREAT IDEA MINION!” Giovanni yelled in return, “Why don’t we do BOTH!”</p><p>“Yeah!” Molly said, smile plastered on her face. Then there was a pause, “Wait he’s probably at work…”</p><p>“AT WORK!? On his birthday!? THAT JUST WON’T DO!” the man said, mostly in shock, although he seemed a little hurt for the sheep boy. “BEAR-TRAP! I need you to do your amazing research skills so we can find out where he works! We must save him from that place!”</p><p>“Boss I don’t think he wants to be saved,”</p><p>“WHY NOT!?”</p><p>“… It’s Sylvie?”</p><p>Another pause hung in the air. “Oh, right.” Giovanni put his hand to his chin, pacing around for a bit while muttering under his breath. “Why don’t… we… just visit him later!” he sprung up into his regular dramatic stance.</p><p>“Great idea Boss!” Molly said, another giggle leaving her, “So… we’re baking him a cake? Where do we do that?”</p><p>“… Molly we are literally bellow your house,” Molly then let out something close to an audible keyboard smash.</p><p>“Yeah, we are!” she said, “Let’s go up then!”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p>They were half-way to the door that read “employees only” when Molly stopped in her tracks.</p><p>“I should close the shop, shouldn’t I?”</p><p>“Probably,” Giovanni shrugged.</p><p>Molly then went on to do just that.</p><p>-</p><p>Giovanni didn’t know what to expect from Molly’s home. He’d never been there before, although this… certainly wasn’t it.</p><p>There were worn-down colours everywhere. It seemed that it used to be bright and colourful, yet now… the colours had faded into a sort of grey. It was sad, honestly.</p><p>“So- where’s the kitchen in this place?”</p><p>“Uh- through here,” Molly said, “You know, it’s a little weird to have you in here. Not that it’s a bad thing! But-”</p><p>“No, I get what you mean,”  he said, “Your house is sad,”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” she said, they had found their way to the kitchen. “Sorry for the mess - I don’t really get that much time to clean,”</p><p>The room itself was barley messy. A few dirty dishes in the sink, maybe it was a little dusty. The kitchen didn’t seem to be used as much as Giovanni’s was.</p><p>“Well, Minion Boy, YOU DO NOW! And you have the BEST bad guy around to help! Not that it even is that messy- you have seen my kitchen, right!?”</p><p>“GOOD POINT!” she let out, “But uh- we should probably be quieter. I don’t know if my sister actually left the house today so…”</p><p>“Okay!” he replied, not a yell this time. He knew how to restrain himself when needed, how could he not? He’s the Great Giovanni Potage! “So, where do we start?”</p><p> </p><p>Baking had been… fun. A mess that the two had to clean up, still, fun nonetheless. The batter might have reached the walls because Giovanni turned the mixer to high, and maybe the icing was a little bit of a mess because of Bear-Trap’s shaky hands. Still, the cake itself was an amazing feat for the two! It wasn’t bakery level perfect, no, but it was made with love! Love is the most important ingredient, after all!</p><p>“I think we’re done!” Molly exclaimed, nothing but happiness in her tone.</p><p>“Hmm…” Giovanni stared at it for a moment, then he looked to his minion. “I don’t know Bear-Trap, I think it needs more stars,” </p><p>Molly grabbed onto a sprinkle shaker that was filled with edible star-shapes. “I think you’re right boss,” she agreed, scattering the rainbow stars over the top of the cake. The two looked between themselves before smiling wide.</p><p>“Okay, okay, so now what?” Giovanni said, “We’ve made the cake… what else can we do before he’s done with…” Giovanni’s tone turned to a hushed one, “Work,” he let out a small shiver.</p><p>“We could make him cards!” Molly said, “But we should probably put the cake somewhere first,”. The girl began to walk around the kitchen and open cabinets. It wasn’t long until she found a Tupperware box big enough for their baked gift. </p><p>“I’ll take that!” Giovanni said, “I’ll sort this out while you find crafty-stuff! No boy of mine will have to do unneeded labour!” only after saying that did he see the irony in his words, “Which is why I think you should sneak out of work more!”</p><p>Molly giggled and left the room with a: “I know Boss!”.</p><p>Once the girl had left he sighed and looked around. Molly’s house wasn’t exactly… run down, it was actually rather good for one above a store. Still, the energy and… emotion around here was… strange. Giovanni didn’t like that his minion lived here, woke up every day here in this drab and depressing state. He knew that it was Sylvie’s birthday today, so he wouldn’t bring it up to him… yet. As much as the ex-blaster and the therapist didn’t get along, they knew how to act when push comes to shove. </p><p>Still, it was Sylvie’s birthday! A day about him, not Giovanni’s fears and worries about the two children that he’d met at a museum! Not that he really worried about Sylvie at ALL! The kid knew how to pull his own weight… although working on his birthday wasn’t a good sign of that.</p><p>He shook his head, carefully putting the dishevelled cake in the green Tupperware box that Molly had gotten out not long before. He smiled into the box, just knowing that Sylvie would enjoy this, no matter how much the kid would deny it.</p><p>-</p><p>As soon as Molly had left the kitchen she made her way to her room. She had piles and piles of unused arts-and-crafts supply's in there that the two could use. She hadn’t really had time to craft since she was ten… a sigh left her and a small, fake smile made it’s way to her face as she opened her bedroom door.</p><p>Molly’s room wasn’t the… best. It wasn’t tidy and was still a bit childish, even for her tastes. Her bed was starting to get to small for her but she could manage. Still, the theme of once bright colours carried on in here, maybe more so than the rest of the apartment. Sometimes Molly wondered if she’d caused it.</p><p>Her eyes found her old crafts box she picked it up and carried it to the living room.</p><p>The living room was probably the least used room in the entire house. The three who lived there knew why, pictures on the walls that framed her mother reflected light as it was hidden behind glass, Miss. Blyneff’s old sewing machine was sat in the corner of the room collecting dust. Molly blinked at that. She wondered what it would be like to use it-</p><p>She shook her head and set the box down on the coffee table. Maybe one day, although she wasn’t sure if Martin would let her use it. </p><p>“Teleports behind you,” was all that she heard before she was picked up by the hood of her hoodie and swung around, then hugged tight. </p><p>“Hey Boss,” Molly said, smiling, genuine this time.</p><p>“You were standing there, looking sad, so I thought that a hug would help!” Molly nodded. It did help, after all. </p><p>They stood there for a moment. There was a split second where Molly got a little sadder than she previously had been. It was just a moment, just a thought. When was the last time Martin gave you a hug?</p><p>“So, cards?”</p><p>-</p><p>Sylvester’s day had been a long one. Patients just dragged on what they were trying to say in the worst ways. Of course, he didn’t blame them for it. He just didn’t like seeing people cry on the daily… although that was part of the job.</p><p>He sighed as he wondered up to his apartment to see two familiar figures stood outside of his door. One, Giovanni, was lent against the wall next to it as the other, Molly, sat on the ground, playing a game on the taller man’s phone.</p><p>“Uh- hello?” he asked, brows raised as he got closer, then pulling his keys out of his pocket. “Why are you here?”</p><p>“It’s your birthday, nerd!” Giovanni said, exited, “We wanted to do something or you!”</p><p>“If I open this door and there’s yelling so help me god-”</p><p>“No! No, there won’t be any yelling,” Molly said, “Plus, neither of us know how to pick a lock so…” she shrugged as Sylvie’s key clicked into place. He turned it, the pushed open the door, partly weary for an onslaught of noise.</p><p>None came.</p><p>He was confused, yes, but still he walked onto the wooded floor. “Come in,” he called behind him, and the two followed (Molly was a little longer due to being sat on the ground). He hadn’t noticed before but the bear-centric girl was holding a plastic bag that obviously held something. He looked at it in suspicion as the three took their shoes off.</p><p>“So… no party, huh?”</p><p>“Nope!” Molly said, smiling slightly, “We knew you wouldn’t want one, especially after work,”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re not that cruel!” Giovanni said, walking up to Sylvie’s sofa and sitting himself down on it. Molly followed and so did Sylvie and soon, all three were sat upon the curved furniture.</p><p>Then, the thing that Sylvie had been confused about had been set on the table.  Molly took out a Tupperware box and two envelopes, handing them to him.</p><p>“Birthday cards,” she said, and then she opened the plastic box. Sylvie saw a cake in there.</p><p>A beat of silence hit the trio and Sylvie almost felt tears in his eyes. Happy ones. “You did all this… for me?”</p><p>“Yeah! Of course!” Giovanni chided, and Sylvie’s face broke out in a smile.</p><p>“Thank you! I-I mean uh… I don’t know when the last time I did something like this was… wow, you’re…” He looked from the paper in his hands and to the two in the room.</p><p>They were family, now. Sylvie had known them for months and nothing else sprung to mind when he thought of them, other than ‘family’. It was nice, a strange sense of security washed over him.</p><p>“Thank you,”</p><p> </p><p>Not long after candles had been set on the cake, a fire a blaze on each and every one of them. Sylvie had to be a kid the last time he did this.</p><p>“Happy birthday to you~” the others began to sing, “Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday Sylvie  - NERD! Happy birthday to you!”</p><p>Sylvie smiled and blew out the candles.</p><p>In that moment, on that night, on the twenty-third day of May, Sylvester Ashling felt more love than he thought possible.</p><p>And, for the first time in a while, he celebrated his birthday.</p><p>“Open the cards!”</p>
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